Four-door Hondas have never been the obvious option for anybody aside from retirees and librarians. They’re heavier and less aerodynamically adept than whatever two-door or hatchback accomplice they share names with, and their accolades generally have more to do with leg room and trunk space than wind resistance and proper handling. An unlikely chassis the sixth-generation Civic sedan is, which is exactly what made it by far the most sensible choice for Gil Deiiz. those and therefore two back doors come inBefore starting work towards his ‘00 sedan, gil knew what he was getting into. He’d paid his dues, mostly with a ‘93 Civic hatchback that he’d owned since ‘96. His plans now were simple, though: to utilize OEM parts wherever possible though with his own touches. All of that begins underneath the hood where a Japanese-spec B18C sits. Overseas Si and SiII Civic sedans were sold with Honda’s twin-cam B16A, which means Deiiz’s 1.8L swap was the simple, bolt-in process that you imagine it was. Deiiz went on to augment the twin-cam VTEC engine with high-end goods from famed tuning company Mugen, such as a genuine 4-2-1 header, valve cover and intake system.
The odds were against Gil from the beginning. Choosing a late-’90s sedan in fair condition and suitable for daily driver duties wasn’t easy, and with a search radius limited by Hawaii’s island of Oahu, his choices were limited. An appropriate sedan was eventually located, along with the build-which lasted only a year-begin shortly thereafter. The odds were still against him, though: “Resources are limited,” he says when asked about the challenges of modifying a Honda as extensively as he has without having direct access to the mainland. “Things are more expensive to ship, and the inability to see things in person ahead of the purchase [can be a problem.] You have [to take] that person’s word for this.” Which is exactly what he did since he continued sourcing parts for his sedan.with the engine bay in terms of high-end parts. Underneath, Gil’s Civic is fitted with Tanabe Sustec Pro S-OC coilovers and a Spoon Sports rear lower tie bar. However the star of Deiiz’s Civic is its Mugen M7 wheels. Measuring in in an oversized 16×9 inches by having an undoubtedly low offset of only 15-a combination that, to be sure, Mugen never produced but that Deiiz had customized particularly for himself, although deiiz’s M7s are different. The process, known as rebarreling, mates a wider and larger rim with an existing face. Neither were the modifications Deiiz designed to the car’s exterior, like the assortment of front and rear bumpers, together with a front spoiler, headlights and power-folding mirrors all from the JDM-spec Civic SiR, although an economical modification this is not. When matched with the authentic Mugen rear spoiler, lighting upgrades, and custom Rally Red paint, it’s all for the makings of an impressive Civic-sedan or not.
Gil’s Civic may have four doors, and also the insurance companies may consider it the tamest of all the Hondas, but this is no librarian’s Civic. He wanted a family friendly car. That doesn’t mean he was required to compromise.
Tuning Menu
2000 Honda Civic LX Sedan
Owner Gil Deiiz
Hometown Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Engine B18C engine swap; Mugenheader and intake, valve cover, oil cap, radiator cap, license plate reservoir and bolts covers; Skunk2 intake manifold; Hondata intake manifold gasket; Honda Access exhaust; Spoon Sports spark plug wires, battery and radiatorcalipers and pads
Wheels & Tires Rebarreled 16×9 Mugen M7 ( 15 offset) wheels; 195/45-16 Yokohama S.drive tires; Integra Type R 4×114 lug conversion; Rays Formula lug nuts
Exterior Sikkens Rally Red paint; JDM SiR front bumper, front spoiler, rear power, headlights and bumper folding mirrors; JDM Civic Type R front grille; Mugen rear spoiler; 6,000K 55W HIDs; Stanley clear foglights and clear side marker lights; intersection lights; JDM thin side moldings and window visors; custom clear and redwheel and pedals, gauge cluster and rearview mirror cover; Sparco quick-release hub; ARC shift knob; JDM Civic navigation system with TV tuner, black seat belts, SiR sun visors and steering column light; red carpet; Honda Access floormats; Civic Type R shift emergency and boot brake handle; EL Civic center console; Gathers subwoofer; roof console and sunglass holder; steering column light; EDM Civic dashboard; airbag tray
www hondata.com; kingmotorsports.com (Mugen); tanabe-usa.com